


A Promise

by winter_mao_flower



Series: DimiAshe Week 2020 [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: :(, Commoner!Dimitri, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Prince!Ashe, ashe steals a wyvern, claude and ashe are friends!, except glenn is alive here, no beta we die like Glenn, reverse roles au, the others show up too but not as much, though he's not mentioned v much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24174859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winter_mao_flower/pseuds/winter_mao_flower
Summary: “Okay okay. Ashe.” Claude nodded before wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “So...Dimitri huh? Do you like him?”It was Ashe’s turn to have his cheeks pink. “D-Do I...Do I like him? Like...as a friend?”“...Ashe...no…” The other groaned. “I mean like...romantically. Would you date him?”------------or...Crown Prince Ashe is in love with the resident blonde boy in his house
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert
Series: DimiAshe Week 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710097
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	A Promise

**Author's Note:**

> Super late but that's okay, also I'm bad at summaries

Dimitri approached Ashe, and Ashe smiled at him. “Your Highness-”

Ashe proceeded to frown upon being called by his title. “Ashe.”

“...Your High-”

_ “Ashe.” _

“...”

“...” He sighed. “I just want you to call me by my name, is it really that hard Dimitri?”

“Of course it is, you are royalty after all.”

Ashe shook his head. “But here we’re just classmates, right? We’re friends. You don’t have to call me by my title.” No one else in the Blue Lions house called him by his title- with the exception of Dedue...Dedue was surprisingly adamant about this, despite how close they were. Heck, even Glenn called him by his name.

“It’s just...you’re at a high place where I can’t reach.” Dimitri shook his head. “There is no way we could be seen as equals. I-”

Ashe took Dimitri’s hand and held it, before placing it in his hair. 

“Y-Your Highness?!”

“Dimitri, you’re taller than me. You can reach where I’m at.” Ashe grinned. “And while what you’re saying might be true in the eyes of others, in my eyes, you’re my equal. Isn’t that enough? Whether I’m royalty or not, it doesn’t matter. If we were in a world where our roles were reversed...I have a feeling you’d be trying to convince me to call you by your name.”

“Your Highness...in what world would I be the Crown Prince of Faerghus?”

Ashe thinks that Dimitri is definitely handsome and pretty enough to be a prince already. It’s...a shame that the other doesn’t seem to think the same. “I’m sure a world like that exists. If not, then it exists in  _ my  _ world.” Ashe took Dimitri’s hand off of his head, holding it in his own. “Dimitri, please. All I ask is for you to call me by my name. I’m not asking for you to suddenly refer to me informally,” Not yet… “just calling me by my name is fine.”

“...” Dimitri’s cheeks turned a light pink before he looked away and sighed. “Oh...fine. I suppose I could...try.”

Ashe’s eyes sparkled as he held Dimitri’s hand and looked at him. Dimitri glanced at him before looking away again.

“A…” The other frowned before sighing again. “Ashe…” He whispered his name softly, so softly that Ashe could barely hear him. His voice was also a little shaky, as if he was nervous simply uttering his name. And Ashe thinks...oh. Maybe...he kind of likes it when Dimitri says his name like that.

“Yeah. I like this better.” Ashe realizes that his response might’ve been a tad too breathless, but he couldn’t care less at the moment. “Keep calling me by my name, Dimitri.”

“Ngh…” Dimitri sighs for the third time this interaction. “It will be hard for me, but if that’s what Your High- Er...Ashe...wishes for. Then I’ll do my best to comply.”

“Well, you don’t have to force yourself. I just like hearing you say my name.”

The other’s face turned bright red as he said that. “Y-Your Highness...if you keep saying things like that people will get the wrong idea…”

“Say things like what?” Ashe blinked. He was just being honest…ah, but he thinks he can see how it could’ve been taken a different way. The romantic knight stories he read sometimes had things like that.

“...” Dimitri hurriedly took his hand away and bowed to him before he could apologize for saying things like that and explain that he was simply being honest and stating the truth. “I believe the professor needed me for something. I will see you later, Your Highness.”

Ashe could only watch in confusion as Dimitri sped away. “Huh?” 

Then he heard snickers come from the side and Claude appeared. “P-Pfft...Hey, Your Highness...where’d you learn that from?”

“Claude please don’t call me ‘Your Highness…’”

“Okay okay. Ashe.” Claude nodded before wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “So...Dimitri huh? Do you like him?”

It was Ashe’s turn to have his cheeks pink. “D-Do I...Do I like him? Like...as a friend?”

“...Ashe...no…” The other groaned. “I  _ mean  _ like...romantically. Would you date him?”

“Uhh…” Ashe lightly scratched his cheek. “I...wouldn’t...say no to the idea…” He mumbled softly and Claude gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. 

“Alright, Operation: Get Ashe a Boyfriend, starting now!” The other let go of his shoulders and walked backwards and pointed finger guns at him while grinning. “I’ll see you later.” 

“Wh- Claude-” His voice became higher pitched and much more distressed as he called out to the other house leader. Alas, Claude had already left. Ah...what was he going to do?

Sometime later that night, his childhood friends came into his room, blocking him from leaving through the door...and the window. He could only sit on the bed and wait for them to start talking.

“So...I hear our little Ashe has a crush on one of our house members.” Sylvain wiggles his eyebrows and somehow-  _ somehow  _ he knew it would be about this. Dammit Claude.

“Well, I don’t know the details, but is it true, Ashe?” Ingrid leaned on the door, being the one to prevent his escape from there. 

“Y-Yes…” If he denied it here, Sylvain would only call him out on it. The teasing would be relentless...so he had to choose the lesser of the evils here.

“Hmph.” Felix crossed his arms. “Who is it? I’ll duel with them to see if they’re strong enough to protect you.”

“Felix you don’t need to do that…” Ashe shook his head. Well, at least it seems like Claude didn’t tell them  _ who  _ he liked at least…

“Yes I do.” The swordsman uncrossed his arms.

“Nooooo you don’t.” Ashe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Sylvain shook his head. “Anyway, since it’s someone in our house...is it...Annette?”

“No, she’s more like a younger sister.”

Felix deadpanned. “You’re literally the same age.”

Ingrid laughed softly. “Then, is it Mercedes?”

“No, she’s more like...an older sister.”

“Ashe is sister zoning everyone he-” Sylvain shook his head before a sly grin crept up his face. “It’s Dimitri.”

His ears and cheeks turned a bright red, the heat suddenly overwhelming. “U-Uh...no…?”

“Oh my god.” Sylvain fist pumped the air in victory of finding out who Ashe liked. “It’s Dimitri. You like Dimitri.”

“Noooooooo…” He planted his face in his hands, sighing quite harshly before speaking through his hands. “Okay fine. I know you’re not going to let it go so yes, I do like Dimitri.”

Sylvain grinned and elbowed Felix, who only pulled a confused expression before elbowing him back. Ingrid blinked in surprise before speaking. “Dimitri? He is Lord Lonato’s adopted son, right? Huh. I didn’t know you liked boys.”

Ashe made an unintelligible noise. Truthfully, he liked both boys and girls but he leaned towards males. Everyone just assumed that he liked women and though that wasn’t necessarily wrong…

“Aww come on Ingrid, don’t just assume things like that about Ashe.” Sylvain gave Ashe a rough pat on the back. “We’re gonna get you your boyfriend, Ashe.”

“Guys Claude already said he was going to do that...I don’t know how but he said he would...you don’t need to.” Frankly, Ashe is afraid there might be a slip of the tongue and Dimitri would find out about his crush on him. Which...he doesn’t want him to know…

“Well, might as well help Claude out with that then!” Sylvain grinned.

“ _ You  _ can do that.” Felix huffed before walking to the door, causing Ingrid to move a bit out of the way. “I’m going to go to the training grounds.” And then he left.

“Ahaha...I think it’s about time for me to head back to my room to sleep as well.” Ingrid smiled at Ashe. “Good luck, Ashe.” She also left.

And then it was only him and Sylvain in the room. “Sylvain-”

“Now, I gotta know something before I decide to help you pursue this crush of yours.” Sylvain turned the chair by his desk around and sat in it, facing him. “What do you think of Dimitri? Be honest.”

“What do I think of Dimitri…?” Ashe blinked.

“Yeah, I already know that you think he’s pretty and handsome or whatever, but what else?”

“I…” He fidgeted at the intense stare Sylvain was giving him. This was one of the moments where he was serious and Ashe couldn’t help but think...was he trying to see if Ashe would get hurt by this relationship. That was the feeling he got from it anyway. “I think that Dimitri’s a very kind and gentle person, very earnest and hardworking. He’s overly formal towards me, but I’d like to spend more time together so that he doesn’t have to...act like that.

“His eyes tell me a story of past hardships, but even though it’s like that...there’s still pure innocence within those eyes, you can’t help but be drawn into them. They’re like the light blues of the sky and the dark blues of the ocean, colliding to make one beautiful scenery. Like...a clear and sunny day. His eyes are soft and gentle, and he feels...safe. Warm. And-”

“Okay okay stop right there I think I’ve heard enough.” Sylvain held his head, as if he were dizzy. “Goddess, I feel like if I let you continue on that train I’d be here all night. Not the nightly adventure I want to have unfortunately.” He leaned forward. “I can see that you’re serious about this, Your Highness. I’ll do my best to support you.”

“Ah...okay…?” He was thrown off immensely by the sudden use of his title.

“Good. I’ll be leaving now, good night Ashe.”

Ashe laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. He felt a sense of...foreboding. Dear Goddess...he hoped they wouldn’t go overboard…

* * *

“Your Highness...it would appear that we are stuck in here for the time being.” Dimitri twisted the doorknob again and Ashe internally groaned. Who’s idea was it to trap the two of them in a locked room together again? Was it Claude? Or was it Sylvain? Who knows. Maybe it could be Glenn. It could even be either Byleth or Bylethe...

They had done a variety of things, such as ‘accidentally’ pushing Ashe into Dimitri’s chest, setting books he’d normally read on higher shelves so he’d have to ask Dimitri for help...even asking Byleth to pair them up together for tasks and eating in the dining hall. Glenn found out about his crush on Dimitri as well, and always told the other that Ashe needed him for something. It was really… 

Well, they did become closer due to their antics and Dimitri was much less formal than before. Dimitri even teased him on some occasions, though he mostly stayed concerned for his well being. Ashe shook his head before leaning against the wall. “I see...well, I guess we’ll have to stay in here until someone else unlocks the door.” 

The other shifted a little, before mumbling something Ashe couldn’t hear. He turned to look at Dimitri in confusion, about to ask what he said before he saw the other pick up something from the ground. “Ah...I…” Dimitri was about to explain, but decided not to. The other shook his head and started to get to work on the lock.

Could Dimitri pick locks? That was a useful skill! Perhaps...not a skill that he would  _ use  _ nor would he normally condone but...it still looked a little cool? Ashe watched the other do so with great interest, causing Dimitri to slip up a few times, but he was able to get the door open quickly. “...”

“I...no longer go down this path Your Highness, please rest assured-”

“How’d you do that?” Ashe’s eyes were sparkling, and the other blinked and opened his mouth, closing it afterwards. He appeared to be shocked.

Dimitri awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Do...what?”

“Pick the lock so quickly like that. Can you teach me?”

The other shook his head furiously. “I- Your Highness there is no way I can just- you are the Crown Prince!”

“It’s not like I’m going to actually lockpick things...please teach me?”

After a few moments of silence, Dimitri sighed. “Okay, I will teach you.” The other locked the door again and gestured for Ashe to come over.

The other stood behind him and placed his hands over Ashe’s, explaining how to pick the lock and correcting him whenever he did something wrong. Dimitri was a surprisingly diligent teacher. He was also quite good at teaching. It was easy to understand. 

But the reason why he kept messing up was…

“Your Highness, not quite like that.” The other’s soft and sweet voice was close to his ear and their bodies were close together...Ashe felt heat rising up to his cheeks as he followed Dimitri’s instructions. This was fine. This was fine.

…

No it wasn’t.

When Ashe unlocked the door, Dimitri stepped away from him and ruffled his hair. “Good job, Your Highness.”

“Y-Yes!” Ashe flushed and the other also had hints of pink on his cheeks.

“Well then, I will be going. Take care.” Dimitri bowed to him before leaving.

Ashe simply stood there before seeing something move in the corner of his eye. He sighed as he walked over and found Sylvain and Claude hiding behind a pillar. Both of them. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“...So...You two…”

“Gah! Claude we were found.” Sylvain dramatically held onto Claude, who also, dramatically held onto him.

“Oh no,” Claude started to use that voice- the voice he used when imitating others. “Sylvain, whatever shall we do?”

“...” The three of them stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

“Okay okay, anyway.” They released each other from their hold. “How did it go?”

Ashe sighed. “...How long are you two planning to do this…”

“Ah. So this was a failure too.” Claude frowned. “Well, we can see how much you care for him and we just want the best for you, you know?”

“Yeah, and after we graduate, who knows if you two are going to see each other again after this. After all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll see him as one of your trusted knights.” Sylvain shook his head. “He might become one of the knights here. Plus, you’ll become the King later. You’ll be swamped with work and it’s unlikely that you’ll see each other often.”

“...” Ashe looked down at his feet with a frown. That was true, he couldn’t keep spending his life here with Dimitri at the academy. As much as he’d like to spend all of his time with the other, they would soon have to part ways. Just the thought of it made him a little depressed. “But...I’m not sure if he likes me back. I don’t want to pressure him.”

“...” Sylvain and Claude looked at each other and sighed.

Sylvain then shook his head. “We thought that if we locked the two of you up in a safe room then you could  _ finally  _ talk to each other properly. Not to mention stop dancing around each other’s feelings.”

“Then you two unlocked the door yourselves...this is a disaster.”

Ashe laughed softly. “Well, it’s fine. I’ll just...wait for Dimitri.”

“What if he never catches up?” The redhead looked at him with concern.

“Then I’ll keep waiting.”

Claude frowned. “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to live in peace, since you love him so much.”

“Then I’ll never live in peace.”

* * *

“Your Highness?”

Ashe had been sitting at the goddess tower, staring out into the night sky when he heard an all too familiar voice. He didn’t look back as he responded. “Dimitri.”

“Your Highness, are you not planning to enjoy yourself more at the ball?” He heard his footsteps approaching him.

“...No, I’ll be honest with you, I’m not good with formal events like that. People will come up to me and ask for a dance just because I’m the Prince. Plus, it always becomes too crowded. I understand if others find things like that to be fun though.” He looked up at the moon. “What about you? Why are you here Dimitri?”

“I was...looking for you. I noticed you left early.”

“I see.” Ashe turned around this time. “Well you’ve found me. Are you here to drag me back to the festivities?” He lightly jokes.

“No, I don’t quite like the festivities either. If I were to bring you back I’d only make the both of us suffer.”

He laughed softly. “Right, well I’m glad we can rest here.” Ashe paused. “Do you...know about the legend of the Goddess Tower?”

Dimitri shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“Ah, well it’s…” He cleared his throat. “Essentially, here at the Goddess Tower, if two people come up to the tower and wish for the same thing here, the Goddess will grant that wish. Or something along those lines.”

“Hmm...Do you believe in those legends, Your Highness?”

“Do I? Well…” Ashe shrugged lightly. “I may not be a devout follower of the Goddess, but I think it’s a nice legend.”

Dimitri nodded before tilting his head. “Would you like to make a wish here, then?”

“Huh? Er- well, I wouldn’t mind.” He smiled. “What do you want to wish for, Dimitri?”

“...What would  _ you  _ like to wish for, Your Highness?”

“...” Ashe opened his mouth to turn the question back to Dimitri, but the other could be surprisingly stubborn sometimes, so he just spoke his wish. “I want a world where everyone is equal. Regardless of where they come from, regardless of their so called ‘status’ in life, and regardless of whether or not they have a Crest. It’ll take a lot of work and time but...I believe that it can happen. I want to be able to help people and ‘save’ them if I can. Even if it’s just one person, I’ll be fine with that.”

“Your Highness…”

“Haha, it’s just a dream I’ve had since I was younger.” Ashe smiled as he looked at Dimitri. “Well, another thing I could wish for is your hand in marriage, but I’m sure you have other wishes that you’d want to be granted.”

They stared at each other and it wasn’t until a few moments after that Ashe realized that he said that. He just proposed to Dimitri. At the Goddess Tower. Why did he do that? Ashe didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They were also still young so to get married at this age..well it wasn’t  _ uncommon  _ but still it-

“Y-Your Highness…” Dimitri finally responded, his cheeks colored a bright red. “If this is a joke and you are teasing me, please do not...do so…”

“Y-Yes!” Ashe started to short circuit and panic, stumbling over his words, losing all of what was left of his princely image. “I mean, it wasn’t really a  _ joke  _ because I have feelings for you but I understand if that’s not the case for you and if this- oh Goddess this made you uncomfortable didn’t it? I apologize, I will be leaving.” He turned to leave, but he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

He was turned around and soft lips met his. Ashe froze in place and his eyes gradually widened. Oh. They were- they were kissing now. It was all so sudden that he couldn’t move. Dimitri pulled back and they stared into each other’s eyes. Under the night sky, the stars glimmered within the other’s, almost making it seem like thousands of stars were captured within his them.

“Your Highness…” They didn’t break eye contact. “I...apologize. I stepped out of my bounds.” Dimitri slowly took his hand off of Ashe’s shoulder, but he prevented him from doing so.

Pulling the other back down, they kissed once more. Ashe had to go on his tiptoes in order to reach Dimitri’s lips. That had been his first kiss, and for a moment, he wondered if it was Dimitri’s first kiss too. Their teeth accidentally clashed against each other, and they bit onto each other’s lips before finding a place where they just melted against each other under the moonlight. Soon, they parted once more.

“I love you.” Ashe blurted out his feelings and, upon realizing he did so, stepped back from Dimitri, breaking their eye contact. He immediately regretted saying those three words. He said that he would wait until Dimitri was ready and well, if he was ready at this moment then that would be fine, but... If he could send himself back into time to stop himself, he would. Throwing himself over the ledge was looking so very good right now.

Dimitri, however, held Ashe in place. “Your Highness...are you sure?” His voice was soft. “Are you sure that...someone like me…”

“Someone like you?” Ashe shakily brought his hands up to Dimitri’s cheeks. He usually didn’t get nervous, but if he did, he could easily put on his princely aura and no one would bat an eye. No one would notice. But now, now he was more nervous than before. More nervous than standing in a battlefield on his own, fighting off enemies while being surrounded, with seemingly no way to escape. _ That  _ was how nervous he was. “Someone like you is more than worthy.”

“Your Highness, you are somewhere I can’t reach. Somewhere far away. I won’t be able to ever catch up,” Dimitri held Ashe’s hands on his face. “I am but a commoner. Even though you know this, you still…?”

“You will be able to catch up and reach me- no, I will meet you at the halfway point. I won’t ever go somewhere you can’t reach. I will always be waiting for you. I promise.”

“What if I...can never reach you?”

“You can. I will be waiting. I will be waiting for you, even if it takes you many years, I will be waiting for you.”

“Your Highness, I am not worth it, you won’t ever live in peace. And if it never happens, then you won’t be able to rest in peace either.”

“Then I hope to never live or rest in peace.” Ashe spoke with a gentle determination.

“...” Dimitri leaned down and rested their foreheads against each other, gripping his shoulders tightly. “You...I can never win against you, Your Highness. I...had been prepared to hide my feelings for you forever. But after seeing you like this and hearing your confession…” Their eyes met once more. “...I love you too.”

* * *

“Hell yeah!” Claude pumped his fist in the air as Ashe and Dimitri announced that they were dating- or rather, it was less of an announcement and more of it being mentioned in casual conversation. It just happened to spread like a wildfire. Claude pointed to the rest of his Golden Deer house. “You all owe me 1500 gold.”

Hilda groaned. “Claude, were you really serious? Do you even need the money?” Even though she complained, she still gave Claude the money.

Claude wasn’t the only one collecting the money, Sylvain and Glenn were too, along with Yuri, Dimitri’s old friend.

Dimitri spluttered. “You- You all had a  _ bet  _ on when we would get together?”

“Yeah well it wasn’t exactly...hidden, bluejay. It was just a matter of time for you and the sparrow to stop dancing around each other.” 

“Felix...you too?” Ashe stared at Felix, who had just thrown some gold off into the four’s general direction. The other only shrugged in response.

After the absolute disaster of what happened in the dining hall, news spread all over Garegg Mach about how Ashe and Dimitri were now a couple. Not a single soul who was there didn’t know about it. At some point, Dimitri dragged Ashe away to  _ outside  _ Garegg Mach and led them to a hidden spot nearby and sighed.

“Ah...I’m sorry about that Dimitri.” Ashe laughed softly as they settled in their hiding place, sitting next to each other. It was really just a worn down house in the middle of a forest nearby. It wasn’t too dense and it was highly unlikely that they’d somehow get lost. “My friends are…"

“I understand.” Dimitri responded, a small smile on his face. “Yuri was the same way.”

He leaned against Dimitri’s shoulder. “If it was really that obvious, why couldn’t we see it?” Ashe wondered out loud. “I mean, if it was that obvious to them that I liked you and vice versa…”

“Most likely because we were holding back around each other.” Dimitri stroked Ashe’s hair. “I prevent myself from saying anything about my feelings to you and you did the same. Though we were doing the same things, we failed to find that the other was in the same position.”

The more Ashe looked at Dimitri, the more he realized that Dimitri really was like a prince in a novel. Compared to him, Ashe was...about average. He reached out and gently fixed Dimitri’s hair. “...You’re so beautiful.”

Dimitri flushed and shook his head. “No I’m not.”

“Yes you are, compared to you I’m just average.”

“Your High- …Ashe.” Dimitri turned to face him and held his cheeks. “Ashe, do not put yourself down like that.”

“Then accept that you’re beautiful.” He smiled and the other sighed softly before gently kissing him.

“Okay, I will.”

They laughed together and looked up at the sky.

“Dimitri, I promise I’ll change the Kingdom. To where we can accept others for who they are as people, not being judged by where they came from or whether or not they have a Crest.”

“...Yeah, I believe that you can do it.”

“I wasn’t finished.” Ashe poked at Dimitri’s cheek. “I...want you to stay by my side while I do so. I want you to watch me change the Kingdom for the better. Would you…” He trailed off.

Dimitri leaned down and kissed him, before ruffling his hair. “Yes, I promise to stay by your side as you change the Kingdom. I’ll be watching you closely, Ashe.”   
  


* * *

“Ugh…” Ashe held his head. Where was he? He tried to move, but he found that he couldn’t. When had he been chained up? The last thing he remembered was fighting off some strange people and getting separated from Dimitri and Dedue...and sending orders to his troops in the war that Edelgard started. The state of the land wasn’t too good, so he often stayed diligent in making sure that they wouldn’t lose. So when had he gotten here? In a prison?

“Looks like Your Highness is awake. Hello there.” A female voice spoke to him, almost like a purr. It was familiar… “Oh, don’t tell me you forgot about me already. I saved your kingdom from a plague you know.” Cornelia laughed. “Well, I’m going to be the fall of your kingdom now, or rather...your reign. We’ll be united under that girl’s rule.”

He didn’t like that tone of voice. “Cornelia, what are you planning?”

“Hmm...wouldn’t you like to know?” She brushed her hair back. “I heard you have a lover.”

His blood ran cold. No she didn’t get Dimitri, did she? Ashe could feel himself stiffen and he glared at her. As he was about to threaten her, she moved to the side, and in the cell in front of him, was Dimitri. No. No no no- All his threats were now forgotten as he stared in shock.

“I see.” She nodded as if she understood something.

Ashe finally found it within himself to respond. “What are you planning to do?!”

“How do you feel about Crests, dear Prince?”

The question threw him off. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because I  _ know  _ it would be delightful to have you...gain a second one.” She nodded to the mages on the side- when had they gotten there? “A small boy like you having the Crest of Blaiddyd, one of the strongest Crests…” She started to pace back and forth. “I wonder what it will be like when you have two? That would be so much power packed into one person, and you could become the strongest.”

“...It’s impossible to have two Crests.”

Cornelia stopped in her tracks to face him. “And that’s where you’re wrong, dear Prince. It’s possible to have two Crests. Not naturally, no, but artificially...yes.” She started to pace again. “You see, we already experimented on multiple people- but only two succeeded in being alive. The first time, the patient suffered trauma and forgot about most of her childhood aside from the siblings she lost and her servant. Her hair turned white.”

That sounded...familiar for some reason. Before he could think about it more, she continued.

“There was another experiment, though she was weaker. That might have been because she originally had no Crest at all. Her lifespan is weaker and she will likely die sooner rather than later, unlike the first one where her lifespan stayed mostly the same...to our knowledge that is. These two experiments could have gone better.” She faced him. “Will you join them? Or will you die in this cell?”

“...” He was about to protest, but his eyes flickered to Dimitri. He couldn’t let Dimitri get hurt. Ashe wasn’t powerless like he was back then at the Tragedy of Duscur. Everyone died but he was alive. Christophe, his mentor and someone akin to an older brother figure, died for him there. As his last words, he told Ashe that it wasn’t his fault, and that he would grow up to be a good and strong prince and king that would be able to protect the people he loved. 

To this very day, he believed that he would be able to do that. He strongly believed that no matter what, he would be able to do that. So he resigned himself to his fate. “I-”

At that moment, Dimitri opened his eyes and made eye contact with Ashe. “No. You will  _ not  _ touch His Highness. If you must experiment on someone, experiment on me.”

Ashe struggled against his chains, wishing that his Crest would activate somehow so he could break them out. “Dimitri, no-”

“I am His Highness’ sword and shield, his sworn protector.” He spoke over Ashe. “I won’t allow him to be hurt. Not even if he tries to sacrifice himself.”

“And why would you willingly offer yourself up? You know there’s a low chance of survival for those without a Crest…” Ashe couldn’t see the expression she was making. “So why? I’m curious.”

“Someone like you wouldn’t understand.” He spat in her direction.

She didn’t say anything for a while before she laughed. “Okay, we’ll accept your offer.”

No. No they couldn’t do that. Ashe had to protect Dimitri. He had to. “Cornelia, I thought you wanted to experiment on me? Don’t-” He found that he couldn’t speak anymore.

“Your Highness I’d like for you to be quiet. I decided to accept his offer and you have no say in this. You have no power here. You cannot protect him. Plus, the way he said that and spat at me really makes me angry. So have fun watching your dear beloved get hurt in front of your eyes where you can’t do anything. I’d like to see that expression of despair on your face again.

She fully faced Dimitri, unlocking the door to his cell. “You said you were the sword and shield for the Prince, correct? Then we will give you the Crests of Fraldarius and Gautier, ‘sworn protector of His Highness.’”

They escaped from their prison some time afterwards...but how much time afterwards, they didn't know. It felt like forever. The only reason why they were able to escape was thanks to Dedue and their other friends who came to their aid. But they were much too late. The kingdom had been taken over and Ashe...he was no longer the same after escaping. Neither was Dimitri.

Ashe distanced himself away from his friends after they gave him his Hero’s Relic. An axe. It moved slightly, as if it were greeting its new owner...it was...disgusting. He couldn’t help but feel repulsed by it as he carried it on his back. 

Even if he distanced himself away, no matter where he was, he could still hear their conversations. Reminders of what happened.

_ “Dimitri, what happened to you? And...His Highness?” Sylvain tentatively asked, making sure to keep his voice low. _

_ “I…” Dimitri was hesitant. “When we were captured, Cornelia was going to experiment on His Highness, giving him another Crest.” _

_ “Having two Crests is impossible.” Ingrid shook her head. “Who knows if the repercussions-” _

_ “There were already two successful experiments. I...believe I know who they are.” Dimitri carefully spoke. “But, I prevented her from experimenting on him, taking his place.” _

_ Glenn, “Dimitri…” _

_ “So that’s why your hair is like that?” _

_ “Yes...apparently I was the most successful experiment of theirs. My lifespan is the same, the only things that have changed are that I am no longer Crestless and my...hair.” _

_ “But then, why is His Highness acting like that?” _

_ “...I don’t know.” _

He clenched his fist as he remembered the conversations they held, walking away from their hidden camp. They tried to approach him, but he brushed them off coldly. It shocked them. They didn’t know how to react. Ashe, the once warm Prince who always smiled no matter what and emphasized with others, was acting so...cold and distant. As if the door to his heart was firmly shut and sealed off, frozen over by the wintry snow.

Ashe couldn’t face them after...losing his kingdom and letting them down like this. He couldn’t. Christophe’s words resounded in his head again. Those words reassuring him that he’d become a good prince and king weighed down on him heavily. To the point where the image of…

He ran. He didn’t care that someone might come after him, that his friends might panic because he suddenly disappeared, that Dimitri- no. He couldn’t. Ashe ran off, his bow and arrows with him. This time he wouldn’t come back. He couldn’t. He had to leave.

There was no point anyway. His kingdom was in shambles. He was powerless to do  _ anything _ and everyone suffered for it. Christophe lied to him. He wasn’t...Ashe wasn’t strong at all. The only thing he could do now was...take his revenge on the Imperial army. When Cornelia said ‘that girl,’ she could only mean Edelgard. He had to get answers. 

His heart slowly turned to black as he kept running and killing the Imperials in his path. Ashe hid his face wherever he went, so that the citizens he saved may not recognize him as the prince. It would be easier to hide from his friends that way, and for his people that occupied a small place in his heart, he would preserve their image of him. Though he wanted to yell at them, to say that they should not place their hope in him because of the monster he became, they would only look at him as if he were insane.

Or with pity. Like his friends did after hearing about what happened. He couldn’t stand it.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since he left his friends, but he learned how to survive on his own for the most part. Ashe stole from the armies that invaded his land, stole their rations and food after slaughtering them with no mercy from afar. He took their extra arrows and bows, packing the food away for later.

If someone looked at him, they wouldn’t see a prince, but a bandit.

Ashe looked over at the fallen soldiers around him, nudging at them with his feet to make sure they were dead. He was resting and they attacked him here, so he took them out. Permanently. Nothing more, nothing less. Ashe held the eyepatch that was over his eye. It was given to him by one of the people he saved. There was a scar over his eye and it was unlikely that he would ever be able to see out of that eye again. Yet another thing to show that he changed. 

He was about to walk away when he saw a lone wyvern.

The wyvern had a scar in one eye and it seemed to be staring at him. Ashe approached the wyvern, collecting his arrows before he did. They looked at each other, and the wyvern huffed, turning its neck to look at the ropes binding it down. ...Huh. He wondered if he remembered the flying lessons Byleth gave to him before he…

Ashe’s gaze hardened as he shook his head and cut the ropes binding the wyvern down. He gently patted the wyvern’s back, and it only grumbled softly. He moved to sit on the wyvern and it waited patiently for him to get settled before taking off.

As they soared through the sky, Ashe felt...warmth from this wyvern for some reason. Like this wyvern had also suffered and had been alone and it somehow understood Ashe.

...Who was he kidding, was he so weak that he needed someone to understand him?

* * *

A long time had passed since he was on the run. Flying off with the wyvern he stole, he plundered the armies that came by even more, until he finally made it to Garegg Mach. He doesn’t...quite know why he’s here in the first place. Ashe sat in the darkest corner of the Goddess Tower, his wyvern nodding to him before flying off.

He sighed softly, taking out his rations he took and eating them. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to survive. How long has it been since this war started? All he remembers doing is killing and stealing, killing and stealing, killing and stealing. He’s done it for so long…

Just as he finished eating, he heard footsteps climb up the tower. He got his bow and arrow ready, aiming for the entrance. His heart beat steadily in his chest as he held his bow steadily.

When he saw who it was, he loosened his grip, putting his weapon down before looking away.

“Ashe?” It was Claude. “You still remembered to come here even after five years. It’s nice to see you again.”

“...” Five years? It’s been five years? He didn’t even plan to be here...it was a coincidence. “What makes you think I remembered?” His voice was colder than ice, and Claude blinked in surprise.

“You...didn’t? But then why are you here?”

“A break from the imperial army, but they were all outside anyway. Took care of them.”

“...Oh, so is that wyvern outside yours? Where’d you-”

“Stole it.”

“...What?”

_ “Stole it.”  _ Ashe fully turned to face Claude, before standing up. “You got a problem with me stealing?”

“Ashe…” Claude looked lost, before he carefully responded. “What happened?”

He leaned back against the wall. “...Dunno. Can’t remember too much aside from trying to survive.”

“What about the others?”

“...Who knows. They’re alive somewhere else, probably.”

Before they could continue talking, footsteps walked up the tower again. Ashe prepared his bow and aimed for the entrance once more, and Claude moved out of the way, but rather than readying his weapon, he placed a hand on his bow instead.

Two people with green hair climbed the steps, and Ashe immediately lowered his bow, eye widening upon their appearance. “Pro...fessor?”

Claude on the other hand, smiled at them brightly. “Hey Teach, it’s been a while.”

Ashe didn’t leave his corner of the tower, and he could only watch in shock as Byleth approached him and his twin sister walk over to Claude.

“...How have you been?” Byleth spoke gently, and appeared to want to reach out to him, but refrained from doing so all the same.

“How have I been…” Ashe gripped his bow. “I don’t know.” He still couldn’t believe it. Byleth and his sister have been alive this whole time? Claude didn’t seem too surprised either, then again, he had always believed that they were alive.

“You two were asleep for five whole years? You’re joking right?”

“No, we really were asleep for five years.” Bylethe responded and both Claude and Ashe were just...standing there.

“I...don’t know how I feel about that. Hm.” Claude shook his head. “Anyway since we’re all reunited, let’s go ahead and go eat something. I’ve got a little bit of food with me. You too Ashe.”

Being shown warmth after the years of isolation and cold was...hmm. Ashe doesn’t like it. But before he could protest, Byleth gave him a tentative smile and...it was suddenly hard to say no. Ashe gripped his bow tighter, before loosening his hold. He couldn’t have his bow break. There wasn’t a way to get it professionally repaired after all.

He sighed harshly. “Alright I’ll go.” Ashe followed them into the church.

When they got there, Claude brought out a small loaf of bread and a few strips of beef. To say that the meal was sad was an understatement. “It’s not much, I know, but-”

“Here.” Ashe took out small packs of rations and food out of his pouch. “Eat this.” He tossed the packs to the three of them before starting to walk away. He couldn’t get too close to their warmth.

“Ah- thanks Ashe. Where’d you get this from?” Bylethe called out to him and Ashe turned around slightly. He didn’t look at them directly.

“Stole it.” After saying those two words, he left the church.

When he left, his wyvern was there waiting for him. Ashe slowly approached it and gave it a pat on the head, eye softening just a little. The wyvern grumbled softly, appearing to be pleased with the head pat. His mouth twitched, as if trying to form a smile before he heard footsteps. His expression turned back to stone and he turned around. “...Professor." He was expecting the other to reprimand him, to scold him for how he reacted or ask for more details about why he became the way he was.

Byleth didn't do that, instead he simply nodded to him, “We’re going to take care of the bandits.” 

He didn’t say anything else, but Ashe knew it was a silent offer. “...” Ashe hopped onto his wyvern and looked at the other. “...Where are they?”

Byleth brought out his sword and glanced within the church before leading Ashe to where the bandits were. They were silent the whole time, and they both tried to study each other. Ashe was trying to see if Byleth was truly here, and that it wasn’t a figment of his imagination. Byleth on the other hand, was surely trying to figure out why he had changed so much.

At that thought, he scoffed to himself before flying a little higher. Once they arrived, Ashe prepared his bow. “I hope you still have those skills of yours, Professor.” They fought against the bandits, with Claude and Bylethe joining them afterwards.

Then the Golden Deer came, appearing to be surprised that they were here. Ashe didn’t pay them any mind and took the dagger he had and charged towards the bandit leader, effectively killing him by slashing his throat. He put his dagger away, coldly staring at the man on the ground.

“Your Highness!”

He froze. Dimitri? Before he could react, there was the sound of a man’s dying scream behind him and footsteps approaching him before stopping once Ashe could properly see him. There was Dimitri. His long dark blue hair tied back, a streak of red hair on his ponytail. 

Dimitri knelt on one knee and looked up at him. When he did, it was with such reverence and longing and  _ love  _ that shocked him. Why was he looking at him like that? “Your Highness, I have been looking for you.”

“...” Ashe felt many emotions. Guilt, confusion...longing. But he closed off his heart long ago and simply shook his head. “You shouldn’t have.” He then flew off, leaving Dimitri there. It shouldn’t have hurt him to do so as much as it did, but it hurt. Ashe had gotten used to the isolation and being alone, suddenly being surrounded by people along with being confronted by the one he loved once more...he didn’t know how to feel.

* * *

“Your Highness.” Dimitri appeared before him once again. He always did for some reason. When everyone else left him alone, Dimitri was the only one to come after him. Perhaps it was because they were once lovers, but Ashe is sure Dimitri’s no longer in love with him. Or at least, he should be. The love and adoration in the other’s eyes were still there. He just couldn’t understand.

“How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?” Ashe hissed. “I’m no longer the prince or a king, so stop.”

“Your Highness will always be Your Highness. You are still royalty.”

Ashe gripped Dimitri’s collar, even if he was taller than him, he wasn’t fazed. “Even if  _ you  _ think I’m still royalty, others do not. They only see a fallen prince who’s murdered people in cold blood, who’s stolen from others, who no longer fits their image of royalty. They only see someone who’s  _ weak _ !” His voice rose with every sentence, pushing Dimitri away afterwards. “Just...go away.” He heard the crack in his voice when he spoke, but he pretended that it didn’t happen, and he went back to stare at the rubble.

“...No.” Dimitri stood next to him. “I won’t be going away.” His voice was gentle and soft, patient. 

Ashe continued to stare forward, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth. “Fine. Stay here.”

Just like that, Dimitri came everyday. It baffled Ashe. Dimitri always tried to talk to him everyday, and Ashe in turn, would give short responses. Though he tried to keep his heart frozen and still, his feelings for Dimitri were still there. He couldn’t help but wonder how Dimitri was so patient to deal with him being like this.

Would he have done the same if their positions were reversed? If Dimitri was the prince and Ashe, his devoted knight. Would he have done the same? He found that his voice was less harsh when he spoke to Dimitri, and that he responded more often. And like with Dimitri, he began to respond a little more to his old friends as well.

Dimitri stood by his side once again. “...Our mission is tomorrow, Your Highness.”

“Okay.” Ashe closed his eye.

“Do you...not want to know what it is?”

“If you want to tell me just spit it out.” Despite his words, his voice wasn’t as harsh as it was before. He just...sounded tired.

“...No, I just wanted to let you know.”

“Okay then.” Ashe opened his eye and turned to face Dimitri. “...Thank you for telling me.” The words felt foreign to his lips, but at the same time, they felt natural and familiar.

“...” Dimitri smiled. Like this feeling, Dimitri appeared to be...different, his appearance that of someone taller and more mature, even his hair a different color. But at his core, Dimitri was the same. Even after everything that happened, he was still able to be the same. ...Dimitri was much stronger than he was.

* * *

“Dimitri!” Ashe panicked in the midst of battle, flying over to where Dimitri was and throwing his axe at the enemy ready to finish the other off. After slaughtering the enemies that surrounded the other, Ashe dismounted from his wyvern, checking up on Dimitri, who was trying to stand up, even after being stabbed through in different areas of his body. “Dimitri, you need a healer.”

“It’s nothing serio-”

“Of course it’s serious!” Ashe glared at Dimitri before calling out to Byleth. “Professor! We need healing!”

“...!” Byleth looked at them and nodded, before ordering Mercedes to go over to them, defending her as she hurriedly made her way to where they were.

After Mercedes arrived, Ashe went back into the battle. His ranged attacks became more accurate than before, and his direct attacks with his axe even more ruthless. As if seeing Dimitri hurt sparked something within him. Not just Dimitri, but his other friends too, though they may not have been as hurt, he still slaughtered their enemies in order to protect them.

Even if he wasn’t a prince or a king anymore, he would still protect his allies. He was...

“Ashe.” Byleth called out to him after he took down another enemy. “Fall back. You’re hurt.”

Ashe shook his head. “I can keep going.” He drank a concoction and gave one to his wyvern as well. His wyvern roared loudly as if agreeing with Ashe. “Don’t worry about me, Professor.”

Byleth tried to call him back again, but Ashe continued to throw himself into battle.

When it was over, Ashe sighed in relief before he felt his world spin. The last thing he heard was Dimitri’s voice, but he doesn’t remember what the other said.

The next time he woke up, he was in the infirmary. He blearily looked around before sitting up, only to be pushed back down onto the bed. Dimitri was there at his side and he smiled at him. “Your Highness, you’re awake. You gave everyone a scare back there.”

“...” Ashe slowly moved to sit up, before he stared at his hand. “...When we were in battle, why didn’t you retreat? Why did you try to fight off that many enemies by yourself?”

“In order to protect you. They were aiming for you, Your Highness.”   


“What if you  _ died,  _ Dimitri.”

“Your Highness, it is the greatest honor to die in battle for-”

“No it’s not!” Ashe clenched his fist as he yelled at Dimitri, feeling warm tears collect in his eye. “It’s always...what  _ honor  _ is there in dying for me? There’s no honor there. What about the people that are still alive and waiting for your return?” His voice shook. “Once you’re dead it’s over, there’s no turning back time. Isn’t it better to make sure that you survive? No one...no one wants to see the people they love die for them in front of their eyes!” Images of the Tragedy of Duscur flashed before his eyes.

“...” Dimitri was stunned, and Ashe continued to speak, his voice still shaky.

“If you died in that battlefield, I…” He looked directly at Dimitri for the first time since they reunited. “I wouldn’t be able to show you the world I want to show you. A world where everyone is peacefully talking to each other regardless of where they came from and regardless of whether or not they had a Crest. I wouldn’t be able to have you by my side anymore. I won’t be able to wait for you or meet you halfway. You...wanted to reach the place where I was, right? Didn’t you promise to stay by my side? To watch me as I create a peaceful Kingdom? Are you planning to break that promise?” 

Tears started to stream down his face. Ashe gripped Dimitri’s shoulder tightly, staring into the other’s eyes. They were still the same blue eyes he remembered all those years ago. The eyes that looked as if the prettiest of skies collided with the deepest waters of the ocean. The eyes that held so much emotion within them...the eyes that...could hold all the stars within them.

“I don’t want you to be another victim of this ‘system of honor.’ Too many people have already died for my sake. I want you to live. So…Don’t die. I absolutely won’t allow it.”

Dimitri gently held the hand that was on his shoulder and pulled Ashe so that they were hugging. He hasn’t felt this warm in so long...during the last battle, the heat he felt burned down the frozen walls of his heart, and the gates to his heart opened. The other was so warm he wanted to cry more.

As if sensing that, Dimitri gently stroked his back and hummed. Ashe didn’t know Dimitri had such a nice and sweet singing voice. He cried. Like a small child, he cried and cried. He cried until there were no more tears left and he became tired, sleepy.

“...I’m sorry, Ashe.” Dimitri brought Ashe’s hand up to his lips and kissed the back of his hand. “I shouldn’t have said such a thoughtless thing. I never thought I’d become someone of value to anyone.”

“Well obviously that thought was wrong. You’ve managed to take the heart of this prince yourself.” He slowly laid back down. “Dimitri...stay with me for a while...please.” Selfishly, he wanted to cling onto that warmth longer.

The other smiled. “Okay.”

* * *

When the war was over, things had changed drastically in Fódlan. For example, there were no longer three territories. Fódlan was now one large country under Bylethe’s rule. 

Bylethe became the archbishop and she was engaged to Claude. Something that surprised Ashe. He didn’t know that Claude felt that way about her. Yet, Claude had flown off to somewhere else for some reason. No one but Bylethe knew where, and she didn’t seem worried. Ashe also trusted Claude, so if he had business elsewhere, he would surely come back.

Byleth got married to Dimitri’s friend, Yuri. Though their wedding was quite small, and they disappeared soon after. They only kept in contact with very few people, limited to Dimitri and Bylethe, along with Ashe and Claude by default. The letters didn’t specify where they were at, but it didn’t matter. They were happy. That’s all that mattered.

Sylvain and Felix spent a lot of time together, eventually getting married themselves. Sylvain made sure that relations with Sreng were okay, and helped Ashe dismantle the Crest system. However, afterwards both Sylvain and Felix disappeared. Ashe turned a blind eye to this, because...they deserved their moments in peace. Becoming Margrave and Duke was something that they didn’t want and therefore, they escaped their fate.

Mercedes and Dedue opened a school in the Duscur residential district in Fhirdiad. They taught the children there about everything they needed to know, from math to writing, even about Duscur’s history. Recently, they were able to reclaim their homeland and revived their culture. Ashe was grateful that his friends were able to help, and he was glad that the people of Duscur were able to reclaim their homeland and have their culture returned.

Ingrid had become one of the knights at the monastery, being able to achieve her dream of becoming a knight. Annette also became a teacher at the Officer’s Academy, so the two of them saw each other often and spoke about old times, being able to reminiscence together. Annette also researched about Crests with Linhardt, and they were soon able to remove the Crests from Dimitri and Lysithea. Even Edelgard.

Speaking of Edelgard, she now kept an extremely low profile with Hubert after Ashe and Claude were able to convince her to cooperate with them. No one knows where they are at now. The last they heard of them was after Linhardt removed her second Crest and even then, Linhardt didn’t speak a word of where they were at. Not that anyone needed to know of course, but it would be nice if they could visit.

Ashe didn’t hear much news from the Golden Deer, since he wasn’t too close to them in the first place, but he genuinely hoped they lived good lives. As for Ashe and Dimitri...after taking care of their duties to change Fódlan and getting married, they also disappeared. Where were they? Well...it was somewhere hidden in the Alliance territory relatively close by the monastery.

They had a small cabin to themselves, in a secluded place surrounded by flowers that were the prettiest shade of blue. They even grew their own vegetables! Ashe’s wyvern also had a place near their cabin, and frequently ‘asked’ for headpats from them. What else...oh, right. They were thinking of adopting a child. However, that child would have to grow up in a secluded place isolated from others...so they were putting it off. Ashe does want a child though…

“Ashe, writing in your journal again?”

“Ah, yes.” Ashe closed his journal and stood up. “Did you need something?”

“No,” Dimitri walked over to Ashe and wrapped his arms around his shoulders. “I just wanted to hear your voice and hug you.”

“...” Ashe laughed softly and patted Dimitri’s shoulders. “Well we’re hugging, what next?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“Dimitri, we’re married.”

“I still have to ask…”

Ashe sighed and pulled Dimitri down to kiss him. They melted against each other and their kiss was soft and gentle. The other held him as if he were afraid Ashe was going to break, but Ashe held the other as if his life depended on it. When they parted, they rested their foreheads against each other and after a while, they laughed.

“I love you, Dimitri.”

“I love you too, Ashe.”


End file.
